iNEMI HFR-free leadership project: An investigation to identify technology limitations involved in transitioning to HFR-Free PCB materials

In response to a growing concern within the Electronic Industry to the transition to Halogen-Free laminates (HFR-Free) within the Client Market space (Desktop and Notebook computers) iNEMI initiated a HFR-Free Leadership Workgroup to evaluate the readiness of the Industry to make this transition. A potential reduction in performance margin from the FR4 laminates being used was initially observed. High-speed bus designs, such as DDR3 & PCIe3 could become problematic due to electrical properties of these HFR-Free materials. Multiple variations of flame retardants are being used and resulting in a wider fluctuation of supplier to supplier PCB electrical performance compared to FR4 designs. Difficulty in understanding the new HFR-Free laminates properties and the ability to readily compare laminates and choose the right laminate to replace FR4 based on datasheets supplied by the laminate suppliers. Lack of data on the HFR-Free thermo-mechanical reliability. Unsure about the HFR-Free supply chain readiness and supply capability to support a HFR-Free Transition. To alleviate these issues, iNEMI initiated the HFR-Free Leadership Project with two workgroups, a Signal Integrity WG and a PCB Materials WG. The goal of the project was to identify the feasibility of the supply chain to support the OEM/ODM/EMS/Supplier transition to these new materials. The HFR-Free Leadership WG concluded that the electronic industry is ready for the transition and that the key electrical and thermo-mechanical properties of the new HFR-Free laminates can meet the required criteria. The HFR-Free Leadership WG verified that the laminate suppliers can meet the capacity demands for these new HFR-Free laminates and developed a “Test Suite Methodology” (TSM) that can facilitate the comparison and choice of the right laminate to replace brominated FR4 in the Client space. This paper will discuss the results of the two workgroup evaluations.